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Tuesday, January 10, 2012

2012 - A Paradigm Shift?

For decades we have been hearing this talk of a paradigm shift in consciousness; that a big sweeping revolution is going to cross the globe and affect everybody energetically, consciously, spiritually – at least that’s how I have interpreted this conversation – and people will all of a sudden wake up, as if night has suddenly turned into day. And with the onset of the Mayan “prophecy” this year, this notion has become closely wedded with the December 21st date and become the focal point for when this shift will occur. Unfortunately, I think those people who are holding out on this event are going to wake up on December 22nd very disappointed.

On a planet with 7 billion people, 7 billion minds, and 7 billion different points of view (and growing), in order for this type of paradigm shift to occur, it would require something so incredibly powerful and miraculous, it would be beyond our comprehension. Judging by our march through history as a species, shifts in consciousness do not happen overnight – they are quite gradual and filled with plenty of upheaval. The closest example that we can relate to is the Renaissance, and in no way did that shift from ideology-based wisdom to free thinking and science occur within the course of a single generation, it took several generations with a backdrop of events stretching back millenniums -- and it still hasn’t shifted the whole planet even today. There are still large numbers of people who have entangled themselves with archaic old-world belief systems and dogma; they are firmly entrenched in them; and as the planet becomes more and more populated, the larger those populations will also become – the more people you have to deal with.

We have this idea that a paradigm shift is going to radically change how people will think, act, and at last, world-peace will prevail (or at least be closer at hand). It’s a beautiful thought, until we realize mass consciousness cannot make that leap overnight – with a real good possibility that it will NEVER make a decisive shift in that direction for the very reason of why people incarnate on earth in the first place: to be the fullest expression of universal consciousness and LEARN LESSONS to become all that we can be, as a being of consciousness. Think about what it would be like if we all started to think and believe in the same way, it would become far too limiting for people’s paths and inhibit their free god-given ability to learn the lessons they have chosen to incarnate to learn in the fashion they feel they need to learn them. Some people NEED DRAMA in order to learn their lessons. That’s their choice. In other words, a world without all the different points-of-view which we currently have may actually be a world with Less Creative Expression for a soul to learn in. If mass consciousness were to all of a sudden align itself in one particular direction like atoms in a laser beam, think how that would actually inhibit spiritual growth and expression versus having all of these other oftentimes contradictory points-of-view.

Ultimately, what we are hoping for in a paradigm shift is a change in thinking because we believe it will lead to a change in behaviors – to be more loving rather than destructive and divisive. But we all know, we cannot make other people think differently … We can’t go into a person’s mind and switch their gears for them. We can only inspire them. They have to make that mental consciousness shift themselves – we call it Free Will. We CAN force them to change behavior through intimidation – we see that all the time – but even then, though behavior might be different, the thoughts might still be the same old thoughts someone has always had. We cannot change how other people think, we can only change how WE think and WE behave. In this sense, the only kind of paradigm shift that will occur will not come from something outside people’s consciousness sweeping in and giving them a huge all-of-a-sudden “aha” moment, it will be something they experience and come up with inside themselves. The only way a true paradigm shift will occur is if we can apply the wisdom of Gandhi: Be the change you want to see in the world.

About the only outside influence that could quickly change the way we treat each other on planet earth would be something catastrophic – something that forces us to unite. I’m thinking a planet-destroying asteroid, alien invasion, or pandemic plague.

Outside of that, spirit, consciousness, needs the varying viewpoints and philosophies in order to allow the growth of souls to become all that is possible. Our challenge is to learn to embrace these differences with unconditional love and understand that everything in the universe is not here by chance or coincidence; the universe works with mathematical precision, therefore, what we see in today’s world is supposed to be happening. If we believe that the main goal or lesson in life is to learn how to love, how can we learn that lesson? Only by encountering those things which will challenge us to find that kernel, that gem, and expand from it. That is going to require these challenges we face. We may not agree with what others may think and are doing, but that is because that is not our path, it is theirs, and they are simply learning their individual lessons and becoming all that the nature of spirit can be from that unique perspective. And, yes, we often cross the line in trying to force a shift upon one another to move in different directions – this is the game-plan in learning our life-lessons. You can’t learn them from sitting on a couch; you have to engage.

My prediction for the future: We will continue to evolve. Evolution is a constant. But it occurs in baby-steps. I don’t think anything is going to come sweeping in and kick that evolution into overdrive in such a way that we go from 10 mph to 120, in terms of consciousness expansion across the globe. Can we reach universal peace and brotherhood on earth? Yes, but it won’t come easily nor swiftly.

Some say the reason there are so many people on the earth at this time is because of this massive, quick, evolutionary leap. I don’t. I think it’s because we have made it a biological imperative to have a family, as it has been for millennia, and so we consciously and spiritually ask and welcome more souls to come in, in order to fulfill this imperative and “standard life design.” Standard life design: get married and have children. It has nothing to do with paradigm shifting consciousness. Especially when it appears everything is quite unorganized and chaotic. Watching the news, I don’t see a movement toward consciousness shifting any time soon. I see life engaging and going on as it has been for centuries. Riots are not new. Civil wars are not new. Overthrowing and trompling dictators is not new. Ghadafi could have been the reincarnated Louis XVI for all we know. We are doing the same things we have always done.

The notion of paradigm shifting into a new form of higher consciousness is a holdover from biblical times and Revelations – “We’re right on the cusp of it. The end is nigh!” They thought that back in the 900s at the turn of that millennium, then the late 16 & 1700s when Newton had an apple knock his noggin; they thought that back in the 1800s with the advent of materialist science; around the same time, the spiritualists were advocating it when the Fox Sisters became famous and parapsychology was birthed; they thought it again in the 1930s when ESP became all the rage thanks to J.B. Rhine’s scientific research; then again in the 60s with flower power; and in the 80s with the New Age movement; and when we switched the clocks 12 years ago. It’s always been with us. It’s a social, societal, mental habit, but not necessarily a realistic outcome to expect.

There are reasons why we engage in this habit … which I don’t have time to talk about here. Nevertheless, it does have to do with our recognition of our eternal consciousness and connection to all things and trying to grasp at that omnipotence within this current environment of time and space, multidimensionality, and multiple probabilities. It ain’t easy, folks … And you know what, we make it that way on purpose.

A paradigm shift will not occur TO other people without their choosing; it will occur only within the individual who desires it – and it requires no special date on the calendar to do so. So those that are espousing a paradigm shift will either experience one for themselves and not see it happen with their neighbor – because the neighbor is too caught up with paying the bills and seeing the kids off to school – or they will start to see their neighbor acting differently and will think “That’s weird. What’s up with them?” and not notice any abnormal changes within themselves. It won’t be this big switch from night to day without any form of conscious choice.